Issue(s): Marvel Super Heroes #5 (Thing story only)
Cover Date: Apr 91 / Spring 91
Title: "Blast from the past!"
Credits:
David Michelinie - Writer
Ron Wilson - Penciler
Al Milgrom - Inker
Barry Dutter - Assistant Editor
Mike Rockwitz - Editor

Review/plot:
This looks like something that was intended for the Thing's solo series circa 1985. What's interesting is that it is by that book's regular artist, Ron Wilson; it just has a different writer. Normally i would guess that something like this was a "just in case" inventory story in case the regular creative team fell behind, but it's rare to see something like that drawn by the regular artist. I actually consider David Michelinie to be a superior writer than Mike Carlin (the Thing's regular writer at the time), so it seems extra unusual to me. In any event, it's not really a super-memorable story.

The Thing's "trike" breaks down, and he wanders the desert until he finds an enclave hidden underneath a NORAD testing city. The citizens of the city are all deformed or handicapped from nuclear testing.

They seem happy enough there, and are very accepting of the Thing.

But it eventually comes out that the group has been tricked to stay there by a government agent who wants to make sure that they never sue the government. And they are also being observed for study. Still, as far as conspiracies go, it's a relatively benign one.

The only action is when the Thing is attacked by a robot after he gets close to learning the truth about the colony.

I'd say that i could see why this issue didn't get published at the time, but it's not like the stuff that did get published was all that great.

Quality Rating: C

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: This takes place after the Thing returns to Earth from the Secret Wars Battleplanet and has his fight with the Fantastic Four that causes him to continue to stay away from the team. The Thing is using a "trike" (a three-wheeled motorcycle), whereas early in his post-Secret Wars solo series he was traveling by bus, so maybe this takes place between Thing #27-28, with Wrench maybe having whipped up the trike for him to ride around in between his gigs with Team America. This story is narrated from some point after the Human Torch and "Alicia" got married (and maybe that's a clue as to when this story was made; certainly as to when it was scripted), but with things like this i usually ignore the narration for placement purposes.

Other stories from this issue: Thor, Speedball, Dr. Strange, She-Hulk.

References: N/A

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? Y

My Reprint: N/A